Chapter 17: Forgotten Memories

A faint humming sound could be heard in the distance.

The blond-haired boy scrunched up his face – eventually opening his eyes, albeit rather unwillingly.

He was enveloped in soft pink strands, with piercing blue eyes staring down at him.

"Time to get up now Damien" he heard her say.

The 10-year-old boy, currently laying under a big willow tree in the middle of spring, then slowly realized that the soft cushion he felt underneath turned out to be the lap of the one urging him to wake. As he pushed himself up and caught sight of her, he was momentarily stunned by her beauty.

There she sat; knees bent with legs folded underneath. Plain white dress covering her pale bare skin, with long pink hair gently being blown around and about by the wind. Her blue eyes narrowed as she stared at him, and then slightly softened as a smile broke out and stretched across her cheeks.

"Silly boy, why sit so far off? Come closer sweetheart" the voice beckoned him.

The boy nudged himself towards her, until he was almost sitting on her lap.

He reached out, grasping some of her hair in his tiny fists. "Just like candy floss" he said, while carefully examining it.

The woman chuckled, but it quickly erupted into a full-blown coughing fit.

Damien stared at her with a deep concern hidden between his furrowed brows.

"Why are you always sick mother?" he asked faintly.

After she regained control of her cough, she straightened and looked at him. "Because my dear one, nothing in this world is for free, not even healing". She turned her head sideways and caught sight of a small patch of dandelions growing next to the tree. Their beauty mesmerized her for a time, and she smiled.

"Suffering can't be eliminated, my love, it can only be passed on for someone else to bear. Healers are the ones who choose to bear it".

Damien stared at her, tracing her outline with his eyes.

"Well teach me, then I can bear yours" he said, desperation evident in his tone.

The woman smiled more brightly "You cannot handle that my sweet, not even I can bear it alone"

"Then who else can you share it with?" the little boy questioned, feeling rather irritated.

"There is another" the woman responded, voice calm and soothing. "You'll meet him soon. He carries all of it, only entrusting me with a small part – just enough to carry without breaking"

"Why can't he just keep it all" the boy scoffed, clearly unimpressed by this newly mentioned stranger.

"Oh, I'm sure he can, if he so chooses" the woman said, the smile on her face slightly fading. "But then I could no longer partake with him in the joys of alleviating other's suffering – that would indeed be too much for me to bear"

"What joy?" the boy snarled, "What joy is there to be found in things that end up hurting you?"

His mother sighed and, reaching out her hand, gently caressed his head - raking her fingers through his hair. "There are more important things than simply preserving your own life, my dear, weightier things than that". She stared at him, as silence filled the air.

"He does not shy away from pain, Damien, so neither should we"

The little boy could feel the anger welling up underneath his skin.

"Who is HE!?" he snapped, "Let him come and heal you then mom! Let him come if he cares".

The boy bit his lip, trying to stop the tears from flowing down. "Let him come, if he cares" his anger sizzled out and his shout quickly became nothing more than a faint whisper.

"Damien" his mom said sternly, "He always ensures that the worst will fall on His own shoulders... He..." she stopped, and stretching out her hands, picked the boy up, placing him on her lap. She encircled him with her arms, pressing him tightly against her chest.

"He promised He would look after you for me... He said..." her voice chocked.

Damien turned his head to look up at her, and for the first time he saw his mother's face drenched in tears.

"...He said to leave it in his hands... so...so..."

She took a deep breath.

"So I can rest"

But as her voice echoed throughout the vast surrounding space, Damien's expression suddenly shifted from confusion to utter fright.

His eyes widened in horror as he saw a change come about his mother's face.

It seemed to be thinning; becoming less solid, almost transparent.

Right before his eyes the change took place.

All he did was stare, absolutely petrified, until she completely evaporated - into thin air.

The boy was left, staring blankly at the newfound emptiness between his arms where she had been.

He wanted to cry, but nothing came, not even a sound escaped his mouth.

Perhaps some of the readers can relate to the sadness he felt - a sadness so deep that, in the moment, not even tears could reach it.

Suddenly, however, he heard a loud crash and jerked his head up.

Surprisingly, he found himself within the confines of a car.

He opened the door and peeped out.

Slipping down, he walked through the garden, towards the sound.

Then he saw her, sitting there, knelt down, her pink hair glimmering under the sunlight.

"Like candyfloss" he whispered, as he cautiously approached.

With every step he took, his heart quickened.

'Could it be...?'

Eventually he reached her.

"What are you doing?" he asked, his voice tinged with both curiosity and dread.

When the girl turned her head, Damien felt his heart sink.

'Of course not... should've known... '

But just then Damien caught sight of the bird laying behind her and breathed out a loud sigh.

"Move" he said, lightly pushing her to the side.

He knelt down in front of the bird, held out his hands, and recited a spell.

As the light shone from under his palms, a piercing pain shot through his left arm, right up to his shoulder.

His face contorted, but after a brief moment he was able to regain his composure.

His left arm however, continued to throb.

The girl opened her eyes and saw the bird up and about before it flew off, its left wing appeared fully healed.

She clapped her hands in excitement and kept pestering the boy about where he learned that incantation, pouting by herself over the fact that she had also tried but hadn't succeed.

'That's a good thing' the boy thought, 'since that one really hurt'

Then the girl suddenly stretched out her hands, enveloping his, and enquired if his mother could teach her.

'Why is she so friendly?' he thought, pulling his hands back as soon as he felt a flush shoot through his face.

"She can't" he bluntly responded, and after a moment's thought added that she had left.

'Died actually'  he corrected himself.

He felt the little girl's gaze on him intensify.

She asked if he would be willing to teach her, but before he could respond, he heard his father's voice echo throughout the garden.

Fear gripped his heart.

"I have to go, before he notices"

But just before running off he turned to the flabbergasted pink haired girl still standing some paces behind him.

"I won't teach you, but if we ever meet again... I'll definitely help you out"

And with a slight grin, he hurriedly dashed off.

"BEEP – BEEP, BEEP – BEEP, BEEP – BEEP"

Damien's whole body felt heavy, as he struggled to push himself up from under his sheets. He groped at his alarm, grabbed it, and quickly switched it off.

As he sat up, he rested his elbow on his knee, raking his fingers through his hair.

He glanced out the window right next to his bed and saw the birds outside gliding about on the wind.

'What a strange dream'

He paused and thought for a moment.

"No... not a dream... memories", he sighed

"I did think she looked familiar"

He threw his head up and flopped back on the bed.

Covering his face with both hands, he felt the cold sensation of tears slowly streaming down his cheeks.

"Happy birthday mom..." he faintly whispered, and the words echoed throughout the empty room.